The white marble quarries of Campiglia Marittima (Livorno, Italy) and the provenance of marble artefacts from Populonia

The aim of this work was to localize and to sample the ancient marble quarries of Campiglia Marittima (Livorno, Italy) in order to characterize them minero-petrographically (by X-ray powder diffraction and optical microscopy for thin sections) and isotopically (measuring the stable C and O isotope ratio by standard mass spectrometry) to create a first database for use in archaeometric studies. The results can help distinguish this marble from that of Carrara and other similar fine-grained marbles used in antiquity and make it possible to determine the provenance of different types of Late-Republican artefacts (mortars, inscriptions, architectural elements, pavements and sculptures) from the archaeological area of Populonia. Given the good quality of the marble, further analyses may be able to shed light on its possible regional distribution or even its export to neighbouring regions, also considering Populonia’s strategic position on the important Tyrrhenian sea trade routes.